Mirza Aaqib Beg
Directed by Rob Reiner, ‘Flipped’ is a romantic drama film that follows two teenagers, Bryce Loski and Juli Baker, who have lived across the street from each other since the two were naive second-graders. But ever since she first laid her eyes on Bryce, Juli knew she loved him with all her heart. Unfortunately, Bryce was not interested in her and did everything to get rid of Juli. Although they grew up around each other, they never truly got emotionally closer to one another until they were in the eighth grade. Some unexpected circumstances help them form a bond, and they finally get to know each other.
Sadly, their conflicting worldview continues to be a huge hurdle as fate brings them together. The romantic drama film failed to be a commercial success, but it still made a lasting impression on its audience, who may wish to learn more about its origins. If you find yourself wondering whether ‘Flipped’ is inspired by real-life incidents or not, we have got you covered.
Is Flipped Based on a True Story?
No, ‘Flipped’ is not based on a true story. It takes inspiration from Wendelin Van Draanen’s young adult novel of the same name, which was published in 2001. Rob Reiner, along with Andrew Scheinman, also worked together on the screenplay for several months, and they did make a few changes to the plot, but overall they have been very true to the book.
Wendelin, when asked about her inspiration for her book, said that most people, including herself, only think to “look beneath the surface” of a person later on in life. Even though she personally was able to avoid any life-altering mistakes because of this, she did say that this realization dawn on her late in life. She went on to explain that throughout her life, she often fell for looks. But it occurred to her much later in life that superficial traits were insignificant and what truly mattered at the end of the day was who people were instead of what they look like.
Through her book, she wished to help and guide youngsters who may be struggling with similar dilemmas. Very few fans of the film know that Wendelin wanted a different ending based on the emails she received about her book. The writer wished that Juli and Bryce kiss at the end, but despite her requests, the director and screenwriter, Rob Reiner, decided to make the film according to the book. However, the story of the book’s adaptation to the screen is quite interesting.
One of Nick’s (Rob’s son) school assignments actually introduced the director to the story. He had to read the book for his homework, and that’s when Rob went through the book. He was fascinated by how well it captured the emotions that one experiences while falling in love for the first time. It reminded him of the time when he was 12 years old and was going through similar experiences. Although the book is set in the 90s, the director decided to set the action in the late 50s and early 60s. It was around this time that he had gone through similar experiences as the main characters in the movie.
Speaking about other changes in the story, Rob said that the only big change was the adaptation of the story to showcase the 50s and 60s. Almost everything else, including the character and the narrative, was the same. Having said that, some things were taken out because they were deemed to be “too much,” but at the end of the day, the integrity of the book’s plot was kept intact. So we can conclude that the movie that even though the author and the screenwriters have used examples from real life, the film is not based on a true story.
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